The Latest News from Our Field

The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined an investigation into the source of a batch of heroin that killed 22 people in western Pennsylvania, The Wall Street Journal reports. The heroin involved in some of the deaths contained the synthetic opiate fentanyl, often used during surgery.

Five billboards with pro-marijuana messages have appeared along New Jersey highways leading to MetLife Stadium, the venue hosting Sunday’s Super Bowl. One of the billboards reads: “MARIJUANA: Safer than alcohol…and football.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday unanimously ruled a heroin dealer cannot be held liable for a client’s death and given a longer sentence if heroin only contributed to the death, and was not necessarily the only cause.

New studies suggest alcohol use is more likely than marijuana use to lead to violence between college students in a relationship.

While momentum to legalize marijuana at the state level is growing, a number of towns and counties are moving to ban legal sales of the drug, The New York Times reports.

The economic impact of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which requires larger employer-based insurance plans to cover psychiatric illnesses and substance use disorders in the same way they do illnesses such as cancer and multiple sclerosis, has been minimal, a new study finds.

A program that provides college freshmen with personalized feedback on their drinking patterns can be effective in reducing their drinking, a new study suggests.

E-cigarettes are an increasingly common sight in rural county jails, according to The New York Times. Sheriffs are selling the devices to inmates to help control mood swings, and to increase revenue.

Emergency rooms in Denver, Colorado reported a surge in visits related to synthetic marijuana in the late summer and early fall, according to the Los Angeles Times. Experts say similar patterns may emerge in other parts of the country.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is releasing new resources to help parents, health care providers and substance abuse treatment specialists treat teens who are struggling with drug abuse. The resources also provide advice on identifying and interacting with teens who may be at risk.

The Animal Poison Control Center reports an increase in the number of calls about marijuana poisonings in pets, according to NBC News.

State inaction, coupled with a tobacco industry determined to maintain its market share, are slowing efforts to reduce the number of smokers in the United States, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

Top headlines of the week from Friday, January 17- Thursday, January 23, 2014.

The Institute of Medicine conducted a comprehensive analysis of the substance use disorder problems by reviewing Department of Defense policies and practices and by hearing from both the military commanders and the troops themselves at bases throughout the USA. It found that identifying the problems was relatively easy. Solving them is not.

Drivers with blood alcohol levels well under the legal limit are more likely to be at fault for accidents, compared with the non-drinking drivers they hit, according to a new study.

As the first legal marijuana stores open in Colorado, and Washington state gets ready to issue licenses for producing, processing and selling marijuana, momentum is building in other states to legalize the drug, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Two organizations representing black media outlets say tobacco company ads about the dangers of smoking, ordered by a federal judge, should run in their newspapers, and on their TV stations and websites.

The Denver County Jail uses a peer recovery model to help inmates take a more active role in their substance abuse treatment, The Denver Post reports.

President Obama told The New Yorker magazine he does not think marijuana is more dangerous than alcohol. He added smoking marijuana is “not something I encourage.”

A new report by the U.S. Surgeon General warns smoking is a causal factor in 10 diseases and conditions that were not previously definitively linked to cigarettes, including diabetes, arthritis, colorectal cancer and erectile dysfunction.

Thoughts of suicide are more common among adults who use illicit drugs, compared with the general population, according to a new government survey.

During National Drug Facts Week, January 27 to February 2, communities and schools around the country will host events to allow teens to learn how drugs affect the brain, body and behavior.

Policymakers in Colorado are imposing a 15 percent wholesale and 10 percent retail tax on marijuana transactions. The impact of the tax rate is unclear, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

A new study finds some brands of cigarettes have increased the amount of nicotine they deliver. This is likely to make them more addictive, according to the researchers.

Companies are struggling with the question of whether to allow employees to use e-cigarettes in the workplace, according to The Wall Street Journal.